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October • 1929
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STUDIES IN THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS BY DR. JOHN C. PAGE A new and useful study o f this greatest o f all the epistles adapted for individual or class study. It is the imperative need of every believer to know the Epistle to the Romans.—L. S. Chafer. Three Propositions of Interest to Every Reader Proposition No. 1 $1.00 TWO TRIAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND STUDIES IN THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS Proposition No. 2 FOUR TRIAL SUBSCRIPTIONS $ 2.00 Proposition No. 3 $1.00 TWO TRIAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND THE GATES OF HADES By W. E. CLARK Dr. J. C. Page
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“ D I C L A M A N N U I T Y E C N U X w ill help you to avoid this tragedy A godly husband had made careful provision for his wife, who, he felt, was not equal to business responsibilities should he be taken. His will carefully provided for the safety of everything possible, including even the payment of a modest weekly sum as current l i v i n g ex penses ; the estate at the wife’s death to go to several fine religious organizations. After the husband’s death, ill advised or godless friends finally succeeded in getting the wife to go to court and try to break the will; after effort and expense this was accom plished. Now the tragedy—so often repeated—the careful provi sion of that loving husband is all lost and scattered, and that widow is absolutely with out property or income and dependent on others; oh, the pity of such cases. This sad outcome c o u l d have been safely avoided if the Life Annuity plan had been adopted. Information as to rates of in come on our thoroughly protected A n n u i t y Bonds gladly given. Address Bible Institute o f Los Angeles 536-558 South Hope Street Los Angeles, California
Table of Contents
Crumbs from the King’s Table—The Editor......................... ........459 The Rational Basis of the New Birth—Leander S. Keyser, D.D...461 What Think Ye of Christ?—Challie E. Graham.... .......................465 History Versus Evolution—Dudley Joseph Whitney........ i..... ......468 What Every Christian Ought to Know About the Whole Bible —Rev. Wm. H. Pike.................................................................... 470 Cumbered About Much Serving—Rev. Victor E. Ford...:.—..........471 Radio K. T. B. I ......................................................... ......................... 473 Seed Thoughts from St. Mark—Rev. Wilfred M. Hopkins......... 475 Heart to Heart with Our Young Readers —Florence Nye Whitwell.................................. ......... . . . . . . . . 1......479 Homiletical Helps for Preachers and Teachers............................. 486 The Junior King’s Business—Sophie Shaw Meader.......................487 “To the Jew First”—David L. Cooper.............. .............................489 International Lesson Commentary—David L. Cooper................... 491 Notes on Christian Endeavor—Alan S. Pearce....... ................... 496 Our Literature Table ...................................... ^..........,...... .................500 A Book A Month.... \ .................. ....................................................... 502 Daily Devotional Readings ...................... .........................................503
SU B SC R IB ER S ’ IN FORM A TION A d v e rtis in g i F o r in fo rm a tio n w ith r e f e r en ce to a d v e r tis in g in T H E K IN G ’S B U S I NESS a d d re ss th e R e lig io u s P re s s A ssn., 325 N o rth 13th S t„ P h ila d e lp h ia , P a., or N o rth A m e ric a B ldg., C h icago, 111. E n te re d a s Second C lass M a tte r N o v em b e r 17, 1910, a t th e P o s t Office a t L os A n g eles, C a lifo rn ia , u n d e r th e A c t of M arch 3, 1879. A c c e p ta n c e fo r m a ilin g a t sp é c ia l r a te of p o s ta g e p ro v id e d fo r in S ectio n 1103, A ct of O cto b er 3, 1917, a u th o riz e d O cto b er 1, 1918. T e rm s! $1.25 p e r y e a r. S in g le co p ies 25 ce n ts. F o re ig n C o u n trie s (in c lu d in g C a n a d a ) $1.50 p e r y e a r. C lu b s o f 5 o r m o re
25 c e n ts re d u c tio n on ea c h s u b s c rip tio n s e n t to one o r to s e p a ra te a d d re ss e s a s p re fe rre d . R e m itta n c e : S h o u ld be m ad e b y B a n k D ra ft, E x p re s s o r P . O. M oney O rder, p a y a b le to “B ib le I n s titu te of L o s A n g e le s .” R e c e ip ts w ill n o t be s e n t fo r r e g u la r s u b s c rip tio n s , b u t d a te of e x p i r a tio n w ill sh o w p la in ly , ea c h m o n th , on o u tsid e w ra p p e r o r c o v er o f m ag a z in e . M a n u sc rip ts: T H E K IN G ’S BU SINESS c a n n o t a c c e p t re sp o n s ib ility fo r lo ss or d am a g e to m a n u s c rip ts s e n t to i t fo r c o n s id e ra tio n . C h a n g e o f A d d re ss: P le a s e se n d b o th old a n d n ew a d d re ss e s a t le a s t one m o n th p re v io u s to d a te of d e sire d ch a n g e .
A ? D E F IN E D BY T H E BOARD O F D IR E C TO R S O F T H E B IB L E IN S T I T U T E O F LOS ANG E LE S (a ) T o s ta n d fo r th e in fa llib le W o rd of God a n d its g r e a t fu n d a m e n ta l tr u th s , (b ) T o s tr e n g th e n th e f a ith of a ll b e lie v e rs, (c) To s tir y o u n g w 0 m on to fit th e m se lv e s fo r a n d e n g a g e in d efin ite C h ris tia n w o rk . th e B ib le I n s titu te o f L os A n g e le s k n ow n , (e) T o m a g n ify God o u r F a th e r a n d th e p erso n , w o rk a n d co m in g o f o u r L o rd J e s u s C h ris t; a n d to te a c h th e tr a n s f o rm in g p o w e r of th e H o ly S p irit in o u r p re s e n t p ra c tic a l life , (f) T o e m p h a siz e in stro n g , c o n s tru c tiv e m e s sa g e s th e g r e a t fo u n d a tio n s o f C h ris tia n fa ith . 536-558 S. Hope St., BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Los Angeles, California
H a r r y W. B o y d , M.D. HEAD OF TH E CHR ISTIAN SERVICE MEDICAL COURSE BIBLE IN STITU T E OF LOS ANGELES.
Graduate of Washington and Jefferson College. Medical University of Pennsylvania. Medical Missionary in China and Siam for twenty-three years under the Presbyterian Board. Superintendent, Hospital for Insane, Canton, China. Superintendent, Canton Hospital, David Gregg Hospital for Women, Hackock Medical College, Kung I. Medical College for Men. At one time in charge of fifteen hundred lepers. Maintained home for untainted children of lepers. Maintained dispensary for fifty thousand villagers of Pontong. In 1924 associated himself with the Bible Institute of Los Angeles as the head of the Medical Department. Is also resident physician for the Men’s and Women’s Hotels in the Institute buildings. “A man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.”
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Crumbs from the King’s Table By the Editor
A Morning Prayer “Lord, make me quick to see Each task awaiting me, And quick to do; ■ Oh, grant me strength, I pray, With lowly love each day, And purpose true, To go as Jesus went, Spending and being spent, Myself forgot.” The Joy of the Lord f HRISTIAN joy is a by-product of fellowship with God. The joy of heaven will be largely the joy of unhindered fellowship. The reason ?we do not have more joy in our Christian lives is because we do not live in fellowship with God. We are out of fellowship with Him because of unconfessed sin. Sin separates a believer from God, and the only way to get back the fellowship and the joy of fellowship is to confess the sin to Him. David lived in unconfessed sin for a time. He said, “When I kept silent my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long; for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Then I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity o f my sin.” It was only after confession that he could sing: “He took me from a fearful pit And from the miry clay; Upon a rock He set my feet, Establishing my way; He put a new song in my mouth, My God to magnify; Many shall see it and shall fear And on the Lord rely.” There is no other way for a child of God to get back the joy than by definite dealing with the sin that caused the separation; as there is no other way for a child of God to get back fellowship with his brethren until he confesses his wrongdoing toward his brethren. Restored Testimony W HEN David lost his joy he lost his testimony. “Re store unto me the joy o f thy salvation, . . . then shall I teach transgressors thy way, and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Christian joy can not be separated from Christian testimony. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” The cause of Christ suffers because many of His servants are unfaithful in preaching the message of grace. But I think it is suffering more because many of God’s saints are living in unconfessed sin and without a testimony. The Holy Spirit is grieved, we are told, be
cause of “wrath, malice, evil speaking,” and other sins that interfere with His power. Child of God, the great revival we are praying for will begin in your own life when you allow God to deal with your own sin. Believing God "X T ANY Christians lack joy and power because when -*-VA they confess their sin they do not trust God to keep His Word. They do not leave their sin with God. “I f we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Some time ago a man said, “A great sin overtook me when I was a young man, and I have been confessing it every day since that time, but I can get no peace and I can get no joy because every day the sin is before me.” What was wrong? The wrong was in not believing God. When God says, “If ye confess, I forgive,” He means what He says. When a child disobeys his father he is out of fellowship with his father. When he confesses his disobedience and manifests sorrow, the fellowship is re stored because the father forgives. But what would the father think if his son would go to him every day and confess the same sin over again? A father is always grieved when his child doubts his word, and our Father is grieved when we doubt Him. “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” The last time I was with Dr. Hinson, of precious memory, was on a trip from Vancouver to Seattle. We sat on the deck of the ship almost all night. Among many things he told me was of his last trip from Liverpool to New York. On the .ship in mid-ocean one morning while talking with the captain he was tossing up a fifty-cent piece and catching it. This went on for some minutes until he missed and the silver rolled off the deck into the sea. He said, “Captain, how deep is it here?” The cap tain replied, “As near as I can tell, Hinson, it is about four miles deep where we are. Why ?” “Because,” said Dr. Hinson, “my sins are down where the fifty-cent piece is and God will not find them until I find my fifty cents.” “He hath buried our sins in the depths o f the sea.” “Far as east from west is distant, He hath put away our sin; Like the pity of a father, Hath the Lord’s compassion been.” Your heavenly Father knows when you are sorry for your sin. You have told Him about it; leave it with Him and do not allow Satan to bother you with it any more. God Wants Us to Have Victory M UST I keep on committing the same sin from day •to day? Can I have no victory over it? To illus trate—I have a bad temper. I have had it all my life. My parents were Scotch-Irish and our. folks descended from
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Adam! My .temper has often manifested itself to my shame and confusion. Many, times have I had to confess sins, of temper. I know God has forgiven me, but must I keep up sinning and confessing all my life? Must I always live in humiliation because my temper makes me play the fool? No, there is victory in Jesus Christ. He is rriy victory. Some time ago I was driving through a town, with a new car. Five boys who had been drinking, deliberately drove into me and tore off the hack fender. I knew the replacing of the fender would cost $17. W as.I angry? I felt the fire beginning to burn. I was about to say some thing that does not become a Christian to say. I learned a certain vocabulary when I was a boy on the farm driving mules and balky horses ! But all at once Christ seemed to be very near to me and I said, “Lord, shut the draft,” as I clapped my hand over my mouth. The fire went out and He gave me the grace to tell the boys about my Lord who had given me the victory, and to testify that the victory was worth at least the price of the fender. Child of God, do you think a victory over a sin is worth $17? If yOu place a less value on a single victory you will place a less value on an ever-present Lord. A Correction I N the July number of the K ing ' s B usiness the editor, in speaking of the splendid men and women who had come to us from the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, omitted the name of one of the greatest Bible teachers of America—Dr. William Evans.. Dr. Evans came from the Moody Institute to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and was a leading teacher in one of the best periods of its history. He needs no introduc tion to the churches. The editor is sorry for the omission. Dr. Evans is now preaching to great audiences in the Church of the Open Door, and will continue his ministry here until the coming of Pastor Philpott.
Influence, the Shadow of the Soul When I was in my “teens” I heard a sermon which impressed me so greatly that I have never forgotten it. In fact, it had a great deal to do with influencing my life since then. I forget the text that the minister used to preach from, but I can well recollect the subject, or theme, that he used. It was on the subject of Influence, and he clearly proved that our soul had a shadow, just as our bodies have. He mentioned the fact that as long as the sun is shin ing, it is impossible to get away from our shadow. If we go forward it follows, if we go backward it does the same. In like manner if we move to one side or the other, our shadow does likewise. It is the same with the shadow of our soul; as long as life lasts we cannot get away from it. No matter where we go it follows us, and the shadow of our soul is called by the name “Influence.” Some may scoff, and declare that they have no influ ence, but that does not alter the fact that they have. Every one has, and let those who doubt, just pause and examine themselves, and see how they are influenced by others. True, some may have more influence than others, but even the smallest and weakest are continually exerting an influence wherever they go. We are influenced to a certain extent by every one with whom we come in contact. A young man who had lived a wild life, was con verted on his deathbed. As he still continued in anguish of mind, a friend asked if he felt afraid to die. “No, it is not that that is troubling me; it is the influence I have exerted in my past life. If you could only bury it with me, I could die happy,” he replied. This incident teaches us the necessity of living so that our influence may always be for good and not for evil. A good influence ensures, not only a happy life but also a happy deathbed; and, added to this, it brings the favor of God and the gratitude of all those whom we have influ enced.— E. D. Hooey.
The Grave of Dr. R. A. Torrey, First Dean of the Bible Institute of Los An geles, at Montrose, Penn sylvania. I n s c r ip tio n on M onument :— Reuben Archer Torrey, D.D., Founder Montrose Bible Conference, 1908. “7 have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
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The Rational Basis of the New Birth B y L eander S. K eyser , D. D. (Address Delivered at the Summer School of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles)
I. C hr istian ity and I ntellectual C ulture ’ ICODEMUS, who came to Jesus by night, be gan the conversation by paying Jesus a com pliment. He said: “Rakbi, we know that thou j art a teacher come from God: for no man , can do these miracles that thou doest, ex cept God be with him” (John 3:2). But Jesus, apparently, paid no attention to his salutation, but seemed to divert the conversation into another channel by saying: “Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except any one be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). (The American Revision says “born anew” ; margin, “born from above.” In either case it would signify a supernatural event. It should also be remembered that the Greek uses \ the term tis, which means, not “a man,” but “any one.” So we have trans lated it literally in the text.) Of course, there was a logical connection between the statement of Nicodemus and our Lord’s reply, which might be phrased in this way: “If you look upon me merely as a Jewish rabbi and a miracle-worker, you have too low a conception of me, that is, a merely external and intellectual one. The only way by which you may come really to understand me and the principles of mv kingdom is by being born again.” But Nicodemus was utterly nonplused by Christ’s answer. He exclaimed: “How can a man be born when he is old?” Jesus did not stop to explain to him the mys tery of the new birth, but repeated His previous state ment, only in somewhat different phraseology: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born o f water and o f the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Then bficodemus, as it were, “threw up his hands,” and exclaimed, “How can these things be?” This incident leads us to offer some observations on the relation of the Christian religion to intellectual culture. Nicodemus was an educated man. We know this from several circumstances: he was a Pharisee; he was a mem ber of the Jewish Sanhedrin; Jesus called him “a master o f Israel.” Perhaps he was a graduate of the University of Jerusalem, and may have sat at the feet of teachers like Hillel and Gamaliel. Yet he could not understand what Jesus meant by the new birth. These facts lead to a further remark: A man might be a highly educated man from the academic viewpoint, a veritable savant; and yet might be only an abecedarian in spiritual lore. Some one has put it rather poetically, nevertheless truly, in the following way, which we will not attempt to quote literally, but will express in our language: , A man might be a great astronomer, so that he could talk learnedly about the stars and planets of the heavens and their wonderful movements in the universe; and yet he might not be able to discover “the Star of Bethlehem.” A man might be a great botanist, able to speak learnedly about all the flowers, plants and trees, and give their tech
nical scientific names and classifications ; and yet he might not be able to identify “the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.” Again, a man might be a great geologist, able to discourse in an erudite way about the rocks and fossils and the diversified strata of the earth’s formation; and yet he might not know how to take his stand on “the Rock of Ages.” Once more, a man might be a learned mathematician, competent to solve all the problems of his recondite science; and yet he might not be able to solve the most fundamental and important problem of all, name ly : What it would “profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.” N o ! History and experience prove that no one can become a Christian by a mere intellectual process. Wheth er learned or unlearned, men are not made Christians in that way. Christians are made by being “born again.” Sometimes inquiring persons are puzzled over this cir cumstance. To make the matter concrete, they may put their problem in this form: Here is a very learned man, a veritable Solon, with many scholastic titles attached to his name; yet he does not believe Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the world and the Bible to be the inspired Word of God. On the other hand, here is another man who is equally erudite, with just as many academic titles appended to his name; yet he is a devout believer in Christ and the Bible. How, then, asks the earnest inquirer, are we to decide where great doctors disagree? We would not chide the questioner because of his mental dilemma; yet his conundrum may be solved in a very simple way: The first man mentioned is not an un believer because he is so highly educated in the academic sense, but because he has never been “born again.” The other man in this comparison is not a believer because of his great intellectual acquisitions, but because he has had the experience of the “new birth.” That experience, and that alone, makes the difference between the believer and the unbeliever, the Christian person and the worldling. It may be said that these are purely dogmatic state ments. Thus far, we grant, they may seem to be so ; but they are based on reasonable premises. Suppose our re ligion depended on erudition and long-drawn and minute historical and scientific investigations; then the vast ma jority of people never could become Christians. Yet many of the best and most useful Christian people we have known have never attended a college or a university; have never, so to speak, brushed their clothes against academic walls. A religion that is meant to be universal, as the Christian religion certainly is, should be available to everybody. The Christian religion is available; for every person, lettered or unlettered, can, if he will, come to God in the name of Christ through the narrow gateway of repentance and faith, and receive the experience of regeneration by the Holy Spirit. It is not a difficult or complex or protracted process. Yet this method does, be it frankly said, demand humility and submission. That requirement, however, is reasonable; for a docile attitude of mind is necessary in
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the sunshine warms them, the bland winds blow over them, the dews of heaven moisten them; they begin to germinate, then unfold, break through the surface of the soil, and continue to grow, until presently you have a beautiful flower and vegetable garden. In that way, precisely, the new life is begotten in the soul. Through the law the foreign growths are uprooted and cast away, the corrupt creatures removed; then the soil is broken up by begetting repentance, contrition, sor row for sin and desire for salvation. At this point the new vital spiritual principle is planted in the receptive soul; and that divine act constitutes regeneration. The result, or fruitage, of the new birth is the ability to exer cise active faith in Christ as the Saviour, bringing justi fication on God’s part and the beginning of sanctification on the believer’s part. This last is a progressive work of grace, and is furthered by the correlation of the divine will and the renewed (regenerated) human will. In this way the believing soul (to keep up the figure) is con verted into a beautiful and useful “garden of the Lord,” which may be said to “blossom as the rose.” To possess such a heart-garden ought to be the earnest desire of every individual. 2. A Statement in Psychological Terms. It may be objected that our argument is based on imagery; that it is simply founded on an illustration from the physical realm, and that proves nothing. “That ex planation is not sufficiently psychological,” says the ob jector. Then let us apply psychology. Just as an external object, say a tree, through the well-known optical and physiological media, carries a stimulus back to the center of consciousness in the cortex of the brain, and there meets with the corresponding response in the self- conscious mind, so that the person says, “I see a tree out yonder on the campus” ; just so the Holy Spirit, through the medium of the law and the Gospel, whether read, heard, or otherwise made known, carries a spiritual stim ulus to the soul and creates within it new powers and perceptions, which in turn enable it to react to the gracious appeal in sequential and corresponding ways. That is the psychology of Christian conversion. In this mediated process and experience, theology and psychology meet and integrate; one might almost say, meet and embrace each other. Between them has been established a true modus vivendi. III. T he N ecessity of th e N ew B irth 1. Our Lord’s Positive Language. On the need of the birth from above our Lord spoke in a most positive tone. He preceded each statement by His solemn and impressive, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee.” Then He added: “Marvel not that I say unto thee, Ye must be born again.” 2. A categorical imperative. One might put it briefly in this way : We must be born again because we must! Why must we breathe the air and eat nutritious food in order to live? Because we must! That regimen lies in the very structure of things. There are many categorical imperatives in this world besides Immanuel Kant’s categorical moral imperative. That is, there are many musts. It is not necessary, however, to state the matter in so dogmatic a way. In the moral and spiritual realm there is always a rational basis for any imperative regimen. A noted unbeliever of the preceding century was wont to
the presence of all truth, no matter to what realm it may belong. If you go into a chemical or physical laboratory to discover facts regarding the composition and activity of matter, you must investigate in a humble and teachable spirit. You must submit to the physical conditions. The same truth obtains in the laboratory of spiritual experi ence. On this fundamental principle are based several ele mentary statements of the Bible. The way of salvation, says the prophet, is so plain that “the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (Isa. 35 : 8 ). “I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth,” said Jesus, “that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Matt. 11:25, 26). What a tender, yet rationally fundamental, state ment ! Paul teaches the same doctrine. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). Again: “The wisdom o f this world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor. 3:19). All this teaching is just as it should be to meet the universal human need for a clear assurance of truth and salvation. Nor is the foregoing statement of the Chris tian way of salvation in the least measure to be construed as a belittling of education and intellectual culture. The world needs educated men and women to bring to it many of the necessities and amenities of our physical, social and spiritual existence; to open up the precious treasures of knowledge; to vindicate cogently and convincingly “the ways -of God to man,” especially in His beneficent revela tion through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Scriptures. Yes; the Christian religion is the friend of intellectual culture, even while it proves itself sane and well-balanced by refusing to overstress it and make unreasonable de mands upon it. II. D e fin it io n of th e N ew B irth 1. A Simple Statement. The definition of regeneration (Latin re and generare, to beget; regeneratio, the state; of being reborn), which is the theological term for the new birth, need not be made difficult or abstruse. It may be very simply stated in this way: Regeneration is the implanting, by the Holy Spirit, of the principles of a new spiritual life in the human soul. The result is that the divine image in man, lost through Adam’s fall, is restored, and thus man again becomes en rapport with God. Surely this is so reason able a doctrine that one feels it ought to be true. The process of regeneration might be illustrated from the physical realm; for, as Henry Drummond was wont to say, there is “physical law in the spiritual realm.” We might, however, reverse the order by phrasing i t : “spirit ual law in the physical realm.” As the cosmos is a unitary system, it is reasonable to believe that in many respects the same laws hold in all realms. Our illustration is this: Suppose you own a plot of ground in the rear part of your yard, and wish to convert it into a garden. In its natural state it is overgrown with weeds and thorns and thistles and infested with noxious vermin. What method of garden-making will you pur sue? You will dig up and cast forth the weeds, thorns and thistles, drive out or kill off the infesting vermin, break up the hard soil and harrow it thoroughly, until you have converted it into a fine tilth. Then what is your next step? You certainly do not let it lie fallow. You care fully plant in the mellowed soil some valuable seeds. Then
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become hilarious in this way: “These Christian people,” he said, “with all their preachers and theologians, are a crude lot: they declare that we have been born all wrong the first time, and so must be born all over again !” And this speech was regarded as an occasion for laughter ! But it certainly was a superficial criticism. Cannot everybody see that there is something radically wrong with human nature ? Why all the wickedness in the world if human nature is all right in its natural state ? Why the recent World War? Why all the departures from the moral standard ? And, most of all, why this awful pall of spiritual indifference the world over? To attribute it to environment is simply to raise the question, Why is the environment invariably bad? The trouble lies deeper. Man is not born a tabula rasa. He has resting upon him in his natural birth the terrible entail of depravity. The Psalmist was a better analyst of human nature than was the scoffing infidel, for the Psalmist said : “Be hold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me’1 (Ps. 51:5). Paul proved himself better versed in anthropology, for he wrote: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them; for they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2 :14). Again he scored deeply : “The natural mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law o f God; neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). Our Lord, in His interview with Nico- demus, told the whole sad-glad story: “That which is born o f the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). 3. The Law of Biogenesis. Here, then, the secret is revealed ; the riddle is unrav eled. Men must be born again because they are not born right the first time. Having been conceived and born in sin, and therefore born with the unspiritual mind, how can they be made spiritually minded except by a new birth —except the Holy Spirit implant in them something which they do not possess by natural generation ? At this point the scientific law of biogenesis enters in with its categorical imperative : Life comes only from antecedent life—a law that is recognized by all biologists who stay by the facts. Omne vivum ex vivo. So the unspiritual mind cannot evolve, by its own resident powers, into a spiritual state and experience, because the “resident powers” are not there. Nothing can come from nothing. Hence we must recognize and submit to the imperative of our Lord when He says, “Ye must be bom again.” 4. Individual Certification Needed. There is still another element in the rationale of the new birth. Since, as has been previously shown, a special revelation was needed, and therefore God gave it, and saw to it that it was recorded in the Bible, and thus given to the world in general, it is reasonable to believe that God would institute a method by which each person might receive an inner certification for himself that this pro fessed revelation is true. Any other way would certainly be incomplete and non-consequential ; in fact, it would be absurd. Now, the new birth is bestowed for the very purpose of giving to the individual the personal assurance of sal vation and truth. Thus we see how perfectly the varioüs parts of the Christian system integrate. It is charged with rationality. It is a complete philosophy. IV. T h e D iv ine A gent in R egeneration There is also a notable consistency in the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who begets this good and gracious work
Dom inus Est (It is the Lord ) Whenever a cross in your path appears, A cross of sorrow and suffering keen; Studded with thorns, and gemmed with tears, The blood drops coursing their way between, O fly to meet it! 0 fly to greet it! O clasp it close to your aching breast! And cry aloud till the winds repeat it, Dominus est; Dominus est. Into each cup of life must fall The bitter wine of contempt and blame, The loathsome draught of dishonor’s gall, The acrid malt of disgrace and shame, 0 fly to drain it! 0 ne’er disdain it! The bitter tonic is always best, The will and the love of the Lord ordained it, Dominus est; Dominus est. And if at last you stand alone, Stripped of honors, and goods, and friends, The joy— the joys that were once your own, Flitted away to the world’s wide ends, What matter treasures! What matter pleasures! The naked cross is the Christian’s test, An infinite Love each teardrop measures, Dominus est; Dominus est. in the human soul. Several reasons for this may be as signed. 1. The Cause Not Subjective. The spiritual life, being a new given power, cannot arise from the content of the human mind in itself. It cannot spring up from the content of the so-called “sub conscious mind.” Such content is not there; if there is anything there, it is man’s legacy of depravity from the fall of Adam. No one who has been converted in the Christian way has ever attributed his experience to any force within himself. The chief element in the content of Christian experience is that it comes into the soul from a power outside of itself. 2. The ■Agent Divine. There is still this additional element in such an ex perience—that it is begotten of God. No converted per son ever ascribes it to any other source. It is known to be a divine operation by the subject himself. And this is true, no matter how unspiritual and agnostical, or even atheistic, the person may have been prior to his conver sion. Therefore, the Holy Spirit, being one of the per sons of the Triune God, imparts the divine element in this experience. Thus, and only thus, can it be adequately explained. 3. The Specific Work of the Holy Spirit. There is also rational congruity in the fact that it is the special function of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity to perform this work of grace in the human soul. Each divine person performs His specific share in the plan of redemption, just as if it were all purposely arranged in logical order. The Father sends the Son into the world, and sustains Him during His period of voluntary self- — The Believer’s Magazine.
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is loyalty to the Word of God. Again the Christian regimen is proven to be reasonable—a divine philosophy. VI. T h e M ystery of th e N ew B irth There is no need to stumble over the mystery of the spiritual process known as regeneration. Jesus wisely said to His interlocutor: “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Then as an analogy He referred to “the wind which bloweth where it listeth,” but is understood by no one. There are people who do not want to accept what they cannot understand; but in view of all the mysteries with which we are surrounded, that is not a reasonable attitude to assume. No one knows what matter and mind are, nor how they are correlated in the human brain to produce self-conscious thought, emotion and volition. Who can get a clear conception of force, electricity, magnetism, time, space, eternity, infinity? These are all inexplicable mysteries. Yet we do not on that account deny their reality. So with regard to the operation of the Holy Spirit with in our psychology; we do not need to understand i t ; we need only to experience i t ; then we shall know it to be a reality. While this experience is an inner psychical one, it makes its impact upon the same center of self-con sciousness as do our sense impressions, and so it is just as clearly attested. VII. U n ity and D iversity in th e N ew B irth The truth of the above sub-head will be clarified in a Pauline statement: “There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God who worketh all in all” (1 Cor. 12: 6 ) . In every case of true spiritual regeneration, it is wrought by the Holy Spirit through the medium oi the Word of God. Here is a sacred unity in all Christian ex perience. But the Spirit comes to different individuals in various ways. Herein lies a beautiful diversity. Diversity of condition, circumstance and temperament result in di versity in the manner in which the experience comes. At this place pur Lord’s imagery is most apropos. He illustrated his thesis by the wind blowing where it listeth. The wind does not always blow in the same way. Some times it blows a hurricane or a cyclone. Some people’s experience of conversion comes in that way: it is sudden and revolutionary, resulting in great clarity as to time, place, main content, and other details. Such was the ex perience of Paul, Augustine, John Newton, Rowland Hill, John Bunyan, Jerry McAuley, and many others. However, the wind does not always, nor even usually, blow with violence. Often it blows a gentle breeze or zephyr and softly fans your cheek. No doubt there are many conversions of the zephyr-like description. The Holy Spirit breathes upon some persons in a more gentle way. This is apt to be the case in children’s conversions. Some of the best Christians we have ever known have described their experience in practically this way : “We cannot recall the exact time and place when we were con verted, for we cannot remember the time when we did not trust and love the Lord Jesus Christ.” No doubt.such persons were converted in their child hood, perhaps at their mother’s knee, and have never lost their faith in their Lord. The experience of it came to them more gradually and gently than would the experi ence of an adult person who was somewhat suddenly con victed and converted after following a course of sin. Paul, although he himself had the more revolutionary experience, recognized the genuineness of Timothy’s more childlike experience, for he wrote thus to Timothy: “But
renunciation; the Son comes into the world, becomes in carnate, and takes the burdens of mankind upon Himself on the cross, thus making expiation for sin ; how the Holy Spirit’s office is to apply the objective redemption thus wrought by the Son to the individual soul, bringing to it a subjective experience of its truth and saving power. Not only so, but the Holy Spirit is the innermost psychical element or person in the Holy Trinity ; He is that person who unites Father and Son in a blessed union of self-consciousness and fellowship; therefore, it is in harmony with the nature of a psychical and spiritual ex perience that the Holy Spirit should perform the inner most work within the soul, that of regeneration. There is a remarkable Pauline statement which seems to indi cate this deep, searching work of the Holy Spirit. Speak ing of the things which “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,’" etc., Paul adds: “But God, hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God; for what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things o f God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:10,11). The most subjective Person of the Trinity logically performs the subjective office in us. V . T h e M eans E mployed The Holy Spirit employs means in accomplishing the work of grace within men’s souls. He does not come down in any kind of a way out of the blue. The chief divinely appointed instrumentality He uses is the Word of God. He does not work an evangelical experience ex cept through the Law and the Gospel as given in the Bible. If we did not have the Bible, we would not even know of Christ and the redemption He wrought for us. We would not know that God will pardon, justify and save us on the condition of our accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour. But this valuable safeguarding truth is known, not through human wisdom, but through the special revela tion given in the Scriptures; for while they teach that we are “born o f God,” and “born o f the Spirit,” they also teach that we are “born by [through] the Word o f God, which liveth and abideth forever” (1 Pet. 1:23). Paul agrees with this: “How shall they believe in him of whom they have' not heard? And how shall they hear imthout a preacher? . . . So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:14-17). Here again let us reflect upon the rationale of this divinely appointed process. We have already discussed the rational basis of a special divine revelation and God’s normal action in putting the record of it in a book, namely, the Bible. Now, as the Holy Spirit always uses the Word as His means of conversion and sanctification, He ever keeps His people true to “the deposit of faith” ; in other words, to “the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.” Thus the Holy Spirit and the testimony of the Word always agree, and the Christian always knows what the true doctrine is. The Holy Spirit’s employment of the Canonical Scrip tures as His instrument in conferring grace saves the evangelical church from two. sapping and serious errors or heresies: rationalism, on the one hand, and false mys ticism (illuminism), on the other. The first makes human reason, instead of the Holy Scriptures, the norm; the other places the “inner light” above the Scriptures. Re garded historically, both of these heresies have been de structive of the Christian faith, and have led to spiritual indeterminism and often landed their adherents in spirit ual darkness. The only effective safeguard against error
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continue thou in the things which thou hast, learned, and hast been assured of, knowing o f whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child [Greek, a babe] thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:14,15). To sum up, the Christian system is coherent, com plete and effectual. Man was created in the divine image, and therefore in a state of moral and spiritual integrity; through the abuse of his freedom, he sinned and thus -lost the divine image, rendering himself an alien from the life of God; in the fulness of time God sent His Son to re deem His fallen creatures, thus removing all the judicial obstacles in the way of his salvation; then the Holy Spirit came to apply the objective redemption wrought by the active and passive obedience of the incarnate Son of God, to regenerate man, to create saving faith in his soul, re
store the divine image in him, to give him inner certifica tion of truth and salvation, and thus bring him back into holy and happy fellowship with his Creator. Is not that a complete system and a rational philosophy ? If it were generally accepted, and were permitted to be an energizing moral and spiritual force in men’s lives, human hearts would be stabilized and comforted, and the race would advance rapidly in true civilization. Then, too, the per plexed minds of men would experience the divine solu tion of their fundamental problems. Nor would such peace of mind in any way or measure curtail men’s activities and researches, but would turn them into other and more fruitful channels, because then men’s souls would be at peace, “in tune with the infinite.” And so for every one the great and satisfying experience of the apostle would be realized: “Godliness with content ment is great gain.”
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What Think Ye of Christ? B y C hallie E . G raham (Sheridan, Mo.)
“What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?”— Matt. 22:42. Kj&jggbifltijf HIS is the broadest, deepest and loftiest question Cver put t0 man' ® ' s *ar ak°ve aP others for the man who is unredeemed. To think’ of ^ ¡ ¡ £ 3 Christ is a personal and individual duty. It is SM # a matter of transcendent importance. Our con- X-01 duct toward Him must always be regulated by our views of Him. . “A s a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” It is not the part of a wise mail to ignore such a question as this. Thinking affects character. Ideals control life. Thought is a mighty power vested in man, for which God holds him responsible. It is supremely important that we think of Christ. And how important it is that we have right thoughts of Him. What we think of Him influences our lives in every realm. Many lives are ruined for want of thinking. Everything depends on what we think of Jesus Christ. Nothing but a right conception of Him will set the life right. And as we settle this question our eternal destiny is decided for weal or woe. What think ye of the birth of Christ? The Scriptures, in speaking of His birth, say: “Therefore, the Lord him self shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7 :14). “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with us” (Matt. 1 :23J. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given : and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince o f Peace” (Isa. 9:6). “Now the birth o f Jesus Christ was on this wise : When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child o f the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, arid not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel o f the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not
to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is con ceived in her is o f the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:18-21; also Luke 1:26-35; 2:1-14). Earthly rulers are born in palaces, amid all of splendor, pomp and grandeur; but Jesus Christ was born in a lowly stable, surrounded by the beasts of the field. At what other birth did angels leave their home in the starry skies and come to earth to sing their glory song ? Or, when did a star unmoor itself from its station in the heavens and move with precision to the place of birth, thus pointing out where the Infant lay ? The fact is, His birth is unlike all others, as He Himself is different from all others. As He stands out by Him self in everything, so does He in the character of His birth. What think ye of Christ as a boy ? At twelve years of age, we find him in the temple asking the learned rabbis questions and startling them by the things that He said. Such wisdom baffled them. It outclassed the wisdom of Israel’s well-trained teachers. He was no man of letters. He held no university degree, and yet His wisdom utterly astonished them. When censured by His parents for tarrying in the city of Jerusalem after the Passover feast, He replied, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” Thus early He knew He was sent of God upon a great mission, and was already resolved to do His will in all things. After going back to Nazareth, we are told that He was obedient unto His parents, that He grew in stat ure and wisdom and in favor with God and men. He developed physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. His was the perfect boyhood that developed into the perfect manhood. What think ye of Christ as a teacher ? One day His enemies sent officers to arrest Him; they found Him teaching the multitudes. W,hen they returned without Him, they were asked why they did not bring Him, and replied, “Never man spake like this man.” And this has been the universal testimony of men throughout the ages. His teachings have never had to be revised in nine-
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go. The answer is “Jesus.” His uplifting influence is felt around the world. We see it in the jails, alms houses, asylums, hospitals, orphanages, homes for the feeble-minded, schools for the blind, the deaf and the dumb, in the homes for old people who have climbed the hills of life and come to the evening sunset with no place to lay their heads. Millions of throbbing lives have climbed the hills of life and gone to rest on the other side, and yet He is preached and loved more than ever. He possessed nothing calculated to give Him prestige and power, yet His name has lived through more than nine teen hundred years, and is more alive today than ever before. He has given us our immortal paintings. He has been the inspiration of our very best literature. He is the sculptor who has chiseled out our greatest art. He has been the advance agent of schools of learning the world around. He is the spirit of justice in every court in every Christian land. He is the moving spirit in every peace conference. He is the Architect of every true and beautiful home. He has inspired all of our great ora torios, these hymns that have touched and moved the hearts of men in all ages since His day. And He is the source of the finest characters and the greatest men and women the world has ever known. What think ye of Christ’s monuments? Ever since Jesus Christ burst the bands of death and came forth on that never-to-be-forgotten first day of the week, His fol lowers, without any command from Him, have been keep ing the Lord’s Day sacred to His memory.- No matter what the rush of business or the desire for pleasure, when this day dawns, His true followers everywhere refrain from work and keep the day in honor of Him and His mighty victory over death. Why is it that we date time both ways from His birth? It is the magic wand that changed the calendar of the world. It settles everything that the question of time enters into. We remember Jesus’ birth every time we write a date. We go into the house of God on the Lord’s Day and see loving souls partaking of the communion: why are they doing it? The answer is, “This do in remembrance of me.” They are remembering the death and suffering of their Lord and Saviour. Has any other man ever been able to set apart a world-feast of remembrance for himself? Down there in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus said to His disciples: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.” And since Pentecost it stands as the glorious fruit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the greatest institution among men. Where- ever a church of Christ is, there is love, purity, humility, justice, goodness, kindness, sympathy, and helpfulness. It is His monument, and it will stand until He comes again. What think ye of Christ’s wonderful works? Nothing was impossible with Him. The Christ of the Gospels is omnipotent. He is all-powerful. “Without Him was not anything made that was made.” While He was here among men, He did the works of God. He left the foot prints of His mighty power all over the pages of the Gospels. This gives us assurance of His deity and His unquestioned ability to do all that He has promised us. See Him as He rises in His majesty, looks out over the angry waves of the Sea of Galilee, and speaks, “Peace, be still.” In a moment the sea is quiet, and the boat is serenely gliding over the smooth waters. Witness with what compassion He views the hungry multitude, as He says to His disciples, “Give ye them to eat,” and five thou sand are fed, with plenty to spare, from five loaves and two fishes. See His tender sympathy, as He heals the
Daily Devotion B y W alter H arry H oliday I f I arise each morning, every day, And kneel me down and offer up a prayer; I f earnestly and honestly I pray, A peace ineffable pervades the very air. I t matters not, though storms shut out the sky; I t matters not, though friends desert my side; I go my way, with happy heart and blest — I feel with Truth and Love I must abide. I f I arise, though, as I sometimes do, My thought embittered by the worldly strife — Forget that God holds me and mine in view, The peace, the calm, at once departs my life. And this I know, humanity’s the same, Though far you go; though near you chance to be — A soul submerged in guilt or shame or woe, Can turn to God and enter — Ecstasy. teen hundred years. He was marvelously simple as a Teacher. The common people heard Him gladly, because they could understand Him. He was wonderful in the enduring quality of His teachings; they are clothed with immortal youth. He said: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” The whole world crowns Him the Prince of teachers. His doctrine is perfectly suited to all mankind. It is accurate and complete. When He had spoken, nothing more remained to be said. Who can improve what He taught? Who can improve the Lord’s Prayer? Or, who can paint a more touching story than the Prodigal Son ? Or, who can measure the beneficence inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan? When He had finished His discourses, the people said, “He taught as one having authority.” What think ye of Christ’s matchless character ? He is the loftiest specimen of manhood the world has ever pro duced. To view His life is like standing in the valley and scanning the snow-capped peaks of the Alps. He has no parallel. He was “holy, harmless, undefiled and sep arate from sinners.” His whole life was as pure as the air that floats over the sun-kissed peaks of the Himalayas. He is “The Crystal Christ.” He is the one spotless Man that ever trod this earth. He is white in His spotless innocence. No point in His beautiful life can be im proved. Who can improve the beauty of the rose by painting it? Try to tint the lily, and you mar its white ness. So each virtue is absolutely perfect in Him, and cannot be improved. What is it you like to behold in a life? You will find it in the life of Jesus every time. “Christ is the flower in which all the beauty in the garden of perfection is found.” Each gem has its peculiar radi ance, but Jesus has the radiance of them all. He is the world’s ideal Man. He is the peak of all humanity. He is our divine rule for the measurement of character. He is our inspiration to noble living, and we shall be sat isfied when we awake in His likeness. What think ye of Christ’s wonderful influence? We see church spires pointing to the heavens everywhere we
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